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ANALYSIS BY: Ben King
ANALYSIS FOR:
ANALYSED TEAM: Cork City
OPPOSITION TEAM: Dundalk
DATE: 8/11/15
CONDITIONS: Wet/Night
TYPE OF GAME: FAI Cup Final
REFEREE: D. McKeon
NO. SPECTATORS: 25,103
SCORE HT: 0-0
SCORE FT: 0-0 (0-1 AET)
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No Name 1 Mark McNulty 3 Alan Bennett 4 John Dunleavy (C) 5 Darren Dennehy 11 Ross Gavnor 14 Kevin O’Connor 19 Karl Sheppard (OFF 101’) 20 Billy Dennehy 22 Liam Miller (OFF 60’) 23 Mark O’Sullivan (OFF 80’) 26 Garry Buckley 16 Alan Smith 6 Dan Murray (ON 101’) 7 Colin Healy (ON 60’) 8 Gavan Holohan 15 Danny Morrissey (ON 80’) 18 Michael McSweeney 30 Liam Kearney
No Name 1 Gary Rogers 2 Sean Gannon (OFF 43’) 3 Brian Gartland 4 Andy Boyle (C) 5 Chris Shields 7 Daryl Horgan 9 David McMillan (OFF 71’) 10 Ronan Finn 14 Dane Massey 17 Richie Towell 21 Darren Meenan (OFF 78’) 22 Gabriel Sava 6 Stephen O’Donnell (ON 43’) 8 John Mountney (ON 78’) 11 Kurtis Byrne 12 Shane Grimes 15 Paddy Barrett 16 Ciaran Kilduff (ON 71’)
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What is the formation/shape of both teams?Cork played in a 4-4-2 (26 Buckley dropping slightly to make a 1-1 up front). Dundalk played in a 4-3-3 with a 1-2 in midfield.What are the characteristics of the first half?Dundalk started the half well and had most of the early possession and chances. As the half went on Cork started to get more comfortable in the game and the possession started to even out by the end of the first half. The first 10-15 minutes were quite direct from both teams and as the half went on the teams started to relax and play more in the style they wanted.What is the style of play of both teams (attacking/defending)?Cork attacked with the two being high and the wingers stepping up early, often attacking with a long and direct ball into the forward or down the line for the winger plus one of the forward to come across to. Later in the half they started to play more on the floor but still to attack quickly. Defensively they sat back into their own half in around the defensive/middle third line. The CMs 22 and 14 marked man for man against their two CMs and went with them as they moved (often leaving a gap in behind them). ST 23 dropped and stopped the ball going centrally while ST 26 dropped in to almost make a 5 in midfield. Dundalk had a lot more build up play and were happy to bring the ball out from the back with minimal pressure. ST 9 made movements deep or wide to try and receive and their was a bit of movement in their midfield. One player was often free between the Cork CBs and CMs to receive. Defensively they looked to press high to both stop Cork playing out and also try and win the ball high.Which team is more dominant in terms of possession?Dundalk had most of the possession early on especially as Cork dropped back and also played direct (giving the ball away in the Cork attacking third most of the time quickly). As the half went on the possession balanced out with Cork playing out a little more and Dundalk starting to step off a little.Do both teams create goal scoring opportunities and score goals?Dundalk had a couple of opportunities from distance and a couple of half chances but nothing major. Cork struggled as well to create any chances at all with a handful of half chances.What is the half time score?0-0
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What is the formation/shape of both teams?Cork stayed in a 4-4-2 when attacking and when defending looked more like a 4-2-3-1 with the wingers pressing a bit more and the 26 really dropping in. Dundalk stayed the same but had a lot more movement from their LW, ST and CMs to change the shape slightly each time they attacked.Are there changes in both formations, if so, are they relevant?The change defensively for Cork to go man for man in the middle worked well with Dundalk not being able to play forward as well. Also meant that Cork won the ball more in the middle third allowing them to counter quickly short with good support.Characteristics of the second half?Became a more open game with Dundalk having more chances through their movement from the ST, LW and CMs and when they did lose it, Cork had the ball higher up the pitch so had immediate support for playing quickly forward. Cork started to press a lot more and the CBs played high while Dundalk still pressed but not as much as the first half. Cork played out more with less pressure and the keeper seemed more comfortable to do this.What is the style of play of both teams?As mentioned above, Cork started to press higher defensively and started to attack with more short, quick attacking or building up if there wasn’t support forward rather than direct most times as in the first half (however they did still play that long ball every now and then and more towards the end of the game/extra time). In extra time they pressed a little less and looked to counter quickly. Once going 1-0 in the second half of extra time they tried to press more as they were chasing the game but they struggled to effectively do this most of the time with tired legs on the pitch. Dundalk sat back a little more at the start of the half as Cork looked stronger when attacking however towards the end of the half they stepped up again. When attacking they continued to try and build up and with some excellent movements from the ST, LW and CMs they found themselves creating more chances. This goes the same for extra time, they created good chances and pressed more to win the ball higher. When they went 1-0 up they sat off more to see the game out.Do both teams create goal scoring opportunities and score goals?Cork and Dundalk created more chances this half with Cork having a few earlier on and Dundalk having more towards the end of the game. In extra time Dundalk had a few more chances and scored from one of them. Cork created a couple but looked like they would be happy to settle for penalties. Once going down 1-0 they pushed forward again and had a couple of half chances and one chance that was headed onto the top side of the crossbar.What is the full time result?0-0 (0-1 AET)
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What is the intention of the team? (what area of the pitch does pressure take place?)As the game started it was to sit deeper into the Cork half with a line of confrontation just about half way. The ST 23 would press a little into their half but not to win the ball. As the half went on they started to come out a bit more defending a little higher up just about the other side of the centre circle but the defenders still sat in deep. Second half started to press even more into their half and into the top end of the middle third, the CBs did step up higher in the second half. Finally towards the end of the game and in extra time they sat back more to then counter from deeper (obviously once going 1-0 down in the second half of extra time they pressed again now chasing the game but because of fatigue this wasn’t done effectively.).What is the intention of the opponent? (strategy in build up)Dundalk tried to build up play by playing out from the back through the thirds. With the man marking in the middle they did sometimes play straight past the middle third with a ball long but most of the time looked for a movement from the ST 9 dropping deep into the gap to receive, the winger 7 pulling central to receive in that gap or a combination with the CMs to then play into that gap.How do the individual players act and how do the units co-operate? (compact, breaking up play, pressuring, zonal or man marking, covering, duels, key players, off sides)The ST 23 pressed a little but defensively didn’t do too much, he did sometimes sit on the CB to stop the ball going across. The CMs marked man for man so moved quite a bit as their CMs made movements. In the first half this wasn’t too successful and they often played through into the gap the was left. In the second half as Cork pressed more this gap closed a bit and it became a lot more successful. The CBs in the first half were quite deep and wary of the ball over the to creating a big gap between them and the CMs, when the ball was bounced in there to the striker the CB closest to him pressed him. Second half they started to press up and they had more success this way. Wingers and FBs dropped in in the first half. Wingers started to press more in the second to make it look more like a 4-2-3-1.How effective is the defence? (regarding the aim of the game)As Cork started to press out a bit more they were quite successful winning the ball often in the middle third r just into the defensive third. Also they won a few more second balls. However this didn’t happen in the first 25 minutes or much in extra time. They started and ended the match (not including going 1-0 down in ET which of course they pressed as much as they could but physically they struggled to do so) sitting back more but with the CMs going man for man it allowed them to be moved around by their CMs, especially when they dropped deep to open that space up for the ST to drop into or the winger to pull in.What are the opportunities and threats?Playing man for man in the middle with the CBs far back allowed their to be a massive gap for their ST, RW or CMs to pick the ball up in which is a major threat. The biggest opportunity we have is when we pressed higher and the gap closed we started to win the ball more in the middle as well as disrupt their build up.What are your recommendations? Press higher as a team by having some pressure on the ball to stop the ball over the top and having the CBs step up while the CMs man marking making it compact centrally.
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Cork Defending – Gap Between the CMs Man Marking and the CBs Dropping
Both man marking players off screen, Dundalk CMs who had
pulled short to receive
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Where is the ball (mostly) won?Mixture of the middle third and defensive third depending if they are looking to build up or have just played it long like they did a few times.What shape do they take up?Striker is high anyway so there is a ball forward, if not it is normally played forward to the wingers so are a little higher and wider (and react quickly). How does the opponent act? (shape on the pitch, pressure of drop off)They try to win the ball back quickly and with 3 midfielders normally near where the ball is lost there is a lot of pressure as Cork win it. The rest of the players will generally try to gat back to a defensive shape quickly. How do the individual players act when the ball is won?The CMs try to move the ball forward quickly but with a lot of pressure around as mentioned above, they do lose it early a number of times as well as the moments when they have tried to force it forward with a long ball. The FBs push high and wide quickly as well as the wingers. The striker makes a angle to receive which is normally deep however if there is the opportunity for a long ball he will step high.Who are the key players?Striker was important as he had to receive under pressure when Cork did win it as well as the wingers who wee the other outlets forward however they normally had to receive a through ball or a ball to feet to then drive. The CMs were key as they had to be quick to move the ball away from danger as well as work with the game plan of moving it forward quickly.How effective is the transition from defence to attack? (regarding the aim of the game)Most were quite effective when they were played short and this is the area where most of Corks success came from. They did lose it number of times but mostly from making wrong decisions or taking too long centrally or the ball being played long and high which normally resulted in Dundalk regaining possession.What are the opportunities and threats?With Dundalk pushing numbers forward and Cork defending a little deeper it meant that Cork had some very good opportunities to counter attack. Regarding the major threats, when Cork won the ball and players started to step up, if Cork didn’t move it quickly and lost possession, they were left on the T2D with players having just stepped forward and Dundalk still having numbers forward.What are your recommendations?If Cork can’t play forward, to play back to then switch and penetrate. This way Cork won’t lose the ball as much trying to force it forward/long.
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Cork T2A – Winning the Ball to Play Forward Quickly
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What is the intention of the opponent? (which area of the pitch do they pressure the build up?)Dundalk press high with a line of confrontation into the top end of the middle third near the attacking third. In the second half they started to press a little less with a line of confrontation around the other half of the centre circle/half way line. On GKs they pressed two guys high to stop Cork playing out to their CBs in the first half but didn’t do this in the second.What is the intention of the team? (strategy in building up: combination play, the long pass, pace of the game)The first half Cork tried to play forward quickly through ether a direct ball forward or a short series of passes looking to get the ball down the lines early or into the striker if on. The LB 11 often looked to play down the line with a high direct ball with LM 19 and ST 23 pulling across to pick it up or at least try and win the second bal. On the other side they played on the floor more with RM 20 looking to drive down the line to cross in swinging or bounce it central (left footed player on the right). As the half went on and into the second half where Cork had some momentum, they started to play more on the floor and short but still quick which gave them more success.How do the individual players act and how do the lines co-operate? (the build up strategy, how many players are involved in the build up, who are the key players)As the striker stayed high they did play the more long a few times to find him but this approach struggled. As they got more possession and got comfortable playing out from the back they started to link up their CMs to then bounce through to the striker or other CMs central or out wide to either the RM 20 who would drive and then bounce inside or cross in swinging (being left footed on the right) or switch left for LM 11 to drive down the line. The GK in the first half didn’t want to play out as the CBs had a bit of pressure on them so looked to play long. The LB 11 often clipped a ball down the line in the air for the LM and ST to try and win (as mentioned before).How effective is the attack? (regarding the aim if the game)They didn’t create many chances throughout the game with the main ones being from set pieces and a couple of long shots. At their strongest point in at the end of the first and start of the second half they did well in the middle third playing quickly to bounce out wide or into the striker however they struggled to create much after that. Also in the build at the start of the game they struggled to play out and made a number of errors trying to do so. Sometimes they didn’t think about playing out and pumped it long.What are the opportunities and threats?The biggest opportunity is to play out from the back to produce a better build up and allow more numbers to get forward (plus Dundalk pressed so we would be able to attack with them committing numbers forward) like Cork did a points during the game. The biggest threat is that they didn’t create much in the final third with lack of movement, combinations and creativity.What are your recommendations?To make intelligent movements in the attacking third to create chances and score goals.
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Cork Attacking – Playing Forward Quick
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Where is the ball (mostly) lost? (which area of the pitch)Lost the ball mostly in their half both in the attacking third and the middle third (sometimes into our half of the middle third). What are the intentions of the team? (to pressure or drop off)In the first half it was to drop off very quickly with one man pressing the ball while everyone else drops back into our defensive third. Line of confrontation would be just into our half with the ST pressing slightly but not to win the ball. As the second half came Cork started to press higher up the pitch so on the T2D they would press them early to both delay them and potentially win it. Right at the end of the game and the first half of extra time they sat back again with a low press unless there was a good chance of winning it. Finally as they went 1-0 down they tried to press high again but struggled to do so with fatigue. If there was a good chance Cork were going to win it then they would press early.What are the intentions of the opponent? (counter or keep possession)Dundalk generally tried to build play up so they kept possession however if there was a available ball forward then they would play that pass which was sometimes high and direct (although they didn’t have much success with this).How do players respond at the moment the ball is lost?Reacted quickly to get back in and when they did start pressing more they continued to react quick.Who are the key players?Key players included the CMs with 1 normally pressing and the other two dropping and covering making it very compact centrally.How effective is the transition from attack to defence? (regarding the aim of the game)Overall the T2D was good with Cork regaining possession a number of times when they did press and delaying them playing forward early (excluding the long ball over the top). There were times when they did manage to play the ball through this press from the CMs which did cause issues (especially when the Striker dropped to receive or 7 LW came in to receive.What are the opportunities and threats?With players central and having 1 press while the other two drop meant that it was compact early and we did win the ball a number of times in the middle third especially late on in the first half an the start of the second. The threat is similar to the defending phase when our CMs step and our CBs drop leaving a massive gap.What are your recommendations?Having the CBs early step when the CMs step forward and drop when there isn’t pressure on the ball.
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Cork T2D – Dropping Early With Individual Press
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What are the tactical changes? (change of shape?)There weren’t many tactical changes in the game, only a few subs that were switched for other players but this was down to injuries on both occasions. In the second half Corks wingers stepped higher to create something more like a 4-2-3-1 depending on where the CMs pressing/man marking took them. What situations have been made?The only change of situation in the game was when Dundalk scored in extra time. Cork reacted by pressing to win the ball (however they were unsuccessfully doing so) and attacking very quickly. Dundalk sat more and where happy to give up possession to get the ball away from there goal. How did the opposition react to changes?As above.How effective were the changes? (regarding the aim of the game)As above.What are your recommendations?Potentially change formation when chasing the game in the final 12 minutes once they had scored (all or nothing).
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Corner Kicks: For (who takes them, what type of delivery, starting positions, movement and runs from players)20 takes them from the right to cross in swinging on his left while 4 takes them from the left on his right to cross in swinging. Players generally make straight movements in from the edge of the area. One player on GK and one player back post.Free kicks from around the box: For (who takes them, what type of delivery, starting positions, movement and runs from players)Free kicks within shooting distance are taken as shots, straight runs into the area taken byFree kicks from the middle of the pitch: quick, short, long? (who takes them, what type of delivery, starting positions, movement and runs from players)Taken short if not in a position to cross, if they are wide in the middle third there they are crossed long.How effective are the set plays? (regarding the aim of the game)Cork had a couple of chances from attacking corners but this was down to mistakes from Dundalk players and also the Cork players struggled to make anything of it. Too many of the corners were hit too close to the GK who collected most. Also towards the end of the game when the Cork GK came up, he often over hit them and put too much backspin on them making it easy for their keeper to collect.What are your recommendations?Quality on ball crossed in needs to be better or even switched to be taken out swinging so there is less chance of it going straight to their goalkeeper.
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Cork Attacking Corner
Too close to GKGK collects
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Cork Dangerous Free Kick
Last minute free kick with GK up
19 clips the ball into the area
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Corner Kicks: Against (who takes them, what type of delivery, starting positions, movement and runs from players)21 takes from both side delivering both in swinging and out swinging crosses. Players make straight movements in front, middle and back with one player pulling across and then holding off to pick anything that comes out.Free kicks from around the box: Against (who takes them, what type of delivery, starting positions, movement and runs from players)14 takes the free kicks from close and aims for goal. Other players in the box make movements straight in with one holding on the edge. One Dundalk man on the end of the wall to then pull off. If they are taken wider then they are crossed in.Free kicks from the middle of the pitch: quick, short, long? (who takes them, what type of delivery, starting positions, movement and runs from players)Generally played short and quick.How effective are the set plays? (regarding the aim of the game)Similar to Corks set pieces, had a couple of chances from silly free kicks given away but they didn’t do anything with them.What are your recommendations?Cork generally did well defending the set pieces, shouldn’t give too many dangerous free kicks away.
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Dundalk Attacking Corner
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Dundalk Dangerous Free Kick
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Dundalk Goal – 107th MinuteNo 7 drives down the inside past 26 into the box to cut back for 17 who take a touch and then places it low and hard down the middle of the goal.
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Dundalk Goal 107th Minute
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Defence Press higher as a team by having some pressure on the ball to stop the ball over the top and having the CBs step up while the CMs man marking making it compact centrally.
Transition from Defence to Attack If Cork can’t play forward, to play back to then switch and penetrate. This way Cork won’t lose the ball as much trying to force it forward/long.
Attack To make intelligent movements in the attacking third to create chances and score goals.
Transition from Attack to Defence Having the CBs early step when the CMs step forward and drop when there isn’t pressure on the ball.
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TEAM Cork City FC
PRIORITY FOR TRAINING SESSION
Preventing goal scoring opportunities.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DESIGN OF TRAINING SESSION
Press higher as a team by having some pressure on the ball to stop the ball over the top and having the CBs step up while the CMs man marking making it compact centrally.
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Date of Session:
Team Function:Defending with T2A
Team Task: Preventing goal scoring opportunities.
Objective of Practice:
Press higher as a team by having some pressure on the ball to stop the ball over the top and having the CBs step up while the CMs man marking making it compact centrally.
Organisation:
- Phase of Play into a 11v11- Cork play 4-3-1 with the wingers cut out- Dundalk play 2-3-3 with the FBs and GK
cut out
Role of the Opposition:
- Build up play- CMs to make movements deep/wide to
try open space- No 7 to drive inside and pull into gap
Coaching Points/Key Factors:
- Compactness as a team- Press the ball from the front- Cover from the CM while man marking- Balance and cover from the defenders- CBs to step back when no pressure on the
ball or step high when there is (or if CMs step high)
- Communication regarding movements from Dundalk and the positioning of our players.
- Movements wide and high quickly as a team in the T2A
Coach’s Notes:
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Date of Session:
Team Function:Defending with T2A
Team Task: Preventing goal scoring opportunities.
Objective of Practice:
Press higher as a team by having some pressure on the ball to stop the ball over the top and having the CBs step up while the CMs man marking making it compact centrally.
Organisation:
- Phase of Play into a 11v11- Cork play 4-2-3-1- Dundalk play 4-3-3
Role of the Opposition:
- Build up play- CMs to make movements deep/wide to
try open space- No 7 to drive inside and pull into gap
Coaching Points/Key Factors:
- Compactness as a team- Press the ball from the front- Cover from the CM while man marking- Balance and cover from the defenders- CBs to step back when no pressure on the
ball or step high when there is (or if CMs step high).
- Communication regarding movements from Dundalk and the positioning of our players.
- Movements wide and high quickly as a team in the T2A
Coach’s Notes:
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